This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a) on Patent Application No. 2001-175171 filed in Japan on Jun. 11, 2001, which is herein incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an impact absorption device that absorbs impact when a vehicle is crushed from the outside.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are conventional impact absorption devices as proposed in Japanese Laid-open Utility Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-54722, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-127763, etc. As shown in FIG. 5, an impact bar 1 is disposed in a vehicle door 2 in such a manner to extend in the longitude direction of a vehicle, and the upper end of an impact absorption member 3 is connected to the impact bar 1, while the lower portion thereof is connected to an inner wall surface of the vehicle door 2 by a bracket 4. Further, the impact absorption member 3 is arranged inside and in proximity to a door outer panel 5. On the other hand, a pad 8 is fixed to a door trim 7 connecting to a door inner panel 6, and the pad 8 extends toward the door outer panel 5 through a hole 9 formed in the door inner panel 6. Between the impact absorption member 3 and the pad 8, a gap is formed which allows a door glass, not shown, is allowed to be raised and lowered.
As shown in FIG. 6, if impact toward a vehicle compartment is applied to the impact absorption member 3 via the door outer panel 5 when the vehicle including the above-described impact absorption device is crushed by another vehicle 10 or the like from the outside at a position below the impact bar 1, the lower end of the impact absorption member 3 is likely to be deformed toward the vehicle compartment with deformation of the bracket 4 since the bracket 4 is relatively long in the vertical direction. However, the upper end of the impact absorption member 3 connected to the impact bar 1 is restricted in deformation toward the vehicle compartment due to a high strength of the impact bar 1. Therefore, the impact absorption member 3 is unlikely to be deformed toward the vehicle compartment while maintaining the original portion, and therefore collides with the end of the pad 8 in an inclining position. It is therefore difficult to deform the impact absorption member 3 as desired and efficiently absorb impact energy.
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, it may be considered that the upper end of the impact absorption member 3 is connected to the impact bar via a bracket 11 that is relatively long in the vertical direction, so that that the upper end of the impact absorption member 3 can be easily deformed toward the vehicle compartment. If impact toward the vehicle compartment is applied to the impact absorption member 3 via the door outer panel 5 due to collision of another vehicle or the like from the outside, the impact absorption member 3 is deformed inward in the vehicle door 2 while maintaining the original position to cause the impact absorption member 3 to collide with the end of the pad 8. In this case, however, the impact bar 1 serving as a reinforcing member cannot always be disposed at the optimum position.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an impact absorption device that is capable of absorbing impact energy surely and efficiently by an impact absorption member, which is connected to an impact bar in a vehicle door, when a vehicle is crushed from the outside.
To attain the above object, there is provided an impact absorption device an impact absorption device comprising: an impact bar disposed in a vehicle door and extending substantially in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle; and an impact absorption member with an upper end locked on the impact bar and a lower end locked on an internal wall surface of the vehicle door; and wherein the impact absorption member is easily released from at least one of the impact bar and the internal wall surface of the vehicle door due to impact applied to the impact absorption member from outside via the vehicle door.
With this arrangement, if impact applied to the vehicle door from the outside deforms the vehicle door toward the vehicle compartment, the impact absorption member is easily released from at least one of the impact bar and the inner wall of the vehicle door. Therefore, the impact absorption device is capable of efficiently absorbing impact due to the deformation of the impact absorption member kept in the original position without being affected by the internal construction of the vehicle door, thus surely protecting passengers.